Template:Abengoa Solar PS10

Abengoa Solar began operation of Europe's first commercial solar thermal plant in 2007.[1] The PS10, located near Sevilla in southern Spain, harnesses concentrated solar power through a field of 600 mirrors that focus the sun's rays on a 40-story tower that houses a receiver where water is heated to steam which is stored and then can be used to drive turbines that then generate electricity.[2] Expansion of the facility is under way with a new tower, the PS20, that will have double the capcity of the PS10 and supply electricity for 12,000 households.[3] Construction of the tower was expensive and required subsidy from the Spanish government and the European Union, however the hope is the price of such construction will become competitive as the technology develops.[1][2]